princessoftheseafandomcom-20200215-history
Poseidon
Poseidon is the Greek god of destruction, earthquakes, horses, hurricanes, oceans, seas, droughts, floods and storms. He is the son of the Titans, Kronos and Rhea, as well as one of the Big Three. His Roman counterpart is Neptune. History Birth and Rescue Poseidon was the second male and fifth child of Kronos, the Titan King of Mount Othrys, and his sister-wife Rhea, born after his sisters Hestia, Demeter, and Hera, and his elder brother Hades. Since Poseidon was a god (a member of a more beautiful and powerful race of immortals than the Titans), Kronos, fearing that Poseidon would one day overpower him, quickly proceeded to swallow him whole as well. Poseidon, thus, spent his childhood undigested in his father's stomach along with his sisters, and elder brother. As a result, Kronos became known as "The Cannibal King." Rhea pleaded with Kronos to spare their children but with no success, since even Kronos' great love for Rhea was not enough to overpower his selfish and evil nature. However, Rhea soon gave birth to her final child, Zeus, who she secretly raised on Crete, far away from Mount Othrys. After growing up, Zeus successfully infiltrated Kronos' Palace on Mount Othrys as the Titan King's royal cup bearer. Poseidon was finally released during the final drinking competition that Kronos had with his Titanic brothers and nephews. Zeus poured an extremely powerful emetic (made from nectar mixed with mustard) into Kronos' goblet, which caused the Titan King to disgorge all of the contents of his stomach, in reverse order of swallowing: first the boulder, then Poseidon, followed by Hades, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia. All of them had been growing undigested in Kronos' stomach, being gods. Zeus quickly introduced himself to his elder siblings, and all of them (including Poseidon) promptly escaped Mount Othrys, before their Titanic uncles and cousins came to their senses. In Zeus' Cave, at the base of Mount Ida, Poseidon happily reunited with his beloved mother Rhea, who tearfully embraced him. Shortly thereafter, Poseidon and the other gods accepted Zeus as their leader, and reached a unanimous consensus on declaring war against their tyrannical father. However, since the Titans were well-armed, and the gods still had no weapons, Poseidon agreed to help Zeus release their Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires uncles from Tartarus first. Rescuing the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires Poseidon's elder brother Hades was very skilled in navigating under the earth, was able to lead them all into Tartarus (through a network of underground tunnels). There, imprisoned in the maximum-security zone, surrounded by huge bronze walls, and a lava moat, guarded fierce demons, were the Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires. Their guardian, Kampe, was the most ferocious and fearsome monster in all of Tartarus, and even Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus initially shuddered with horror when they saw the infernal monster for the first time. However, the gods overcame their fear, and were able to sneak in. Zeus managed to talk to the Cyclopes Brontes, and convinced him to forge powerful weapons for him and his siblings behind Kampê's back. The three Elder Cyclopes forged three incredibly powerful weapons: the Master Bolt (for Zeus), the Trident (for Poseidon), and the Helm of Darkness (for Hades). With these new weapons, Zeus destroyed Kampê, and Poseidon shattered the chains of the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires, releasing them. Afterwards, Hades safely guided his siblings and uncles back out of Tartarus. In return, for their release, all six of Poseidon's uncles agreed to fight on his side in the upcoming war with the Titans. Titanomachy Shortly after their return from Tartarus, Poseidon and his siblings officially declared war on Kronos and the other Titans, which resulted in the terrifying 10-year-long Titanomachy. The Titans initially had the upper hand, since they were much more experienced warriors. However, as the years of the War passed, the gods quickly became skilled warriors as well, and with the help of their new extremely powerful weapons, as well as the aid of the Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires, the gods finally prevailed. Poseidon himself proved to be a very dangerous and ferocious warrior, and greatly contributed to the ultimate downfall of Kronos and his Titanic followers. While preparing for the final battle of the War, Poseidon and his siblings ascended to Mount Olympus (the tallest mountain in Greece after Mount Orthys). During the final battle, Zeus used his |Master Bolt to shear off the top of Mount Othrys, and hurl Kronos from his Black Throne, defeating the Titan King. Shortly thereafter, the gods invaded the ruins of Mount Orthys. In the aftermath of the battle, the Cyclopes chained up all of the defeated Titans, while the Hekatonkheires forced them to kneel before Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus. Zeus took his father's Scythe, and sliced Kronos into a thousand pieces, before casting him into Tartarus, along with the rest of his followers (except for Atlas, who was forced to hold the Sky). Gaining the Oceans and Seas The gods chose Mount Olympus as their official residence, and the Cyclopes built magnificent palaces there for them all. As a result, the gods started to call themselves the Olympians. Shortly thereafter, Poseidon had a private meeting with his brothers Zeus and Hades, and the three brothers agreed to divide the world between themselves. Although it was Hades' birthright (as Kronos' eldest son) to be named his father's successor, he agreed to divide the Titan King's former domain with his brothers. Hades received the underworld, Poseidon seized the seas and oceans, and Zeus claimed the heavens as his domain. Shortly after this division, the three mighty sons of Kronos came to be known as "The Big Three." However, Zeus' authority was recognized as superior to that of his brothers, and Zeus became the King of Mount Olympus. Poseidon would soon have the Cyclopes build (his underwater residence) for him. As the King of Atlantis, Poseidon spent much time with the Telekhines, who educated him about life underwater. However, sometime afterwards, the Telekhines began using forbidden dark magic, and were imprisoned by Zeus in Tartarus. Marriage to Amphitrite Early in his reign, Poseidon began searching for a wife. His attention soon turned to the beautiful Nereid, Amphitrite but she rejected his proposal and fled. As a result, Poseidon became extremely depressed, and pointlessly wandered about his palace, bellowing "louder than a humpback whale", giving many whales and giant squids terrible migraines. Fortunately for him, Delphin, the dolphin god and Poseidon's lieutenant, was sent in pursuit and managed to persuade the goddess into reconsidering the offer. After his grandiose wedding, Poseidon gratefully awarded his lieutenant by creating a constellation in his honor. He would father three children by Amphitrite, including a son named Triton. Like Zeus, Poseidon also went on to sire children by various goddesses and mortal women. His most famous demigod children of all are Theseus, and Bellerophon. Neither Amphitrite or Persephone acted with hostility toward their respective husband's children when they were showed infidelity (unlike Hera). Relationship with Demeter A couple of years after Persephone's birth, Demeter had decided to take a walk on the beach, and was noticed by her brother Poseidon. The god of the seas appeared before her, wearing magnificent flowing green robes, and a crown of shining seashells. Demeter was frightened, and transformed herself into a white mare, and attempted to hide herself among a nearby herd of wild horses. Poseidon, however, being "The Father of Horses", quickly transformed into a mighty white stallion himself, and galloped after her. He quickly caught up with the herd, and made the horses part before him and surround Demeter, after which he successfully seduced her. Shortly thereafter, Demeter gave birth to twins: Despoina (a goddess), and Arion (an immortal stallion). Despoina would later become a minor goddess of fertility, and would often look after Demeter's temples as a high priestess. Her twin brother Arion, however, was far more prominent, and would often come to the aid of demigod heroes (such as Hercules). Rivalry with Athena Athena and Poseidon had a rivalry between them since the two of them both wanted to be the patron of the city Attica, as it was named at the time. The people of the city petitioned the two gods to each create a gift for the city, and whichever gift was favored the most, that god would be the city's patron. Athena gave the people an olive tree and Poseidon made them a salt-water spring. At first, the people of Attica though Poseidon's gift was the more amazing, that is until they tasted the water and realized it was salt-water. Because they couldn't drink the water, they chose Athena's gift of an olive tree and made her the patron goddess of the city because they could use the olives for food and oil. As a show of appreciation to Athena, they named the city Athens after her and they turned the symbol of the city to an owl on an olive branch. They also had people build her the Parthenon in her honor. Although in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, Poseidon created a spring during his entrance, and offered horses as a gift. The people of Attica chose Athena's gift due to the potential of monetary gain from the olive trees. Another time which marks a conflict between the two Olympians was when Athena transformed Coronis (whom Poseidon was trying to seduce) into a raven. As a result, a furious Poseidon longed for revenge. Hence, he took Medusa, his new lover, into Athena's temple. Furious with Poseidon and Medusa, Athena turned Medusa and her two sisters, who had helped her sneak into the temple, into the three Gorgons. She additionally cursed Medusa so that whenever anyone looked into her eyes, they would be turned to stone. Yet another time both of them were at odds about Odyssesus. While Poseidon was furious with him for blinding his son Polyphemus, Athena favored him above all other mortals, and was always willing to aid Odysseus when he needed it most. Despite their mutual animosity, there were times Athena and Poseidon worked together. They were responsible for inventing the chariot which combined their creations. Athena came up with the idea for the shape and design of the chariot while Poseidon supplied the horses to pull it. Furthermore, both Athena and Poseidon were on the same side during the Trojan War, supporting the Greeks. Olympian Murder Trial After Poseidon's son Halirrhothius attempted to rape Ares' daughter Alcippe, she summoned her father for help. The infuriated god of war quickly arrived, and brutally slayed Halirrhothius. An outraged Poseidon demanded that Ares be put on trial for the murder of his son, to which Zeus agreed. The first ever Olympian murder trial took place on the Areopagus Hill in Athens. Zeus, as the god of honor and justice, was the Chief Justice, while the other ten Olympians served as members of the jury. In the end, Zeus justly acquitted Ares, since the latter was defending his daughter's honor. Olympian Riot, and Poseidon's Punishment Hera, enraged at her husband's infidelity, decided to start the first (and last) Olympian riot against Zeus. Hera managed to gain the support of Poseidon, as well as Apollo, and Athena. That evening, Poseidon, Apollo, and Athena hid themselves in the hall adjacent to Zeus' royal chambers, awaiting Hera's signal. As soon as Zeus had fallen asleep, all four of them quickly tightly bound the King of Olympus with unbreakable and tightening golden chains. Even chained up and completely immobilized, an infuriated Zeus looked very intimidating. Finally, Poseidon attempted to reason with his brother, and demanded that Zeus be a better ruler. Zeus refused, which prompted Hera to advocate leaving him chained up in his chambers until he agreed. Shortly thereafter, the four Olympians departed for the Throne Room for the first (and last) democratic meeting of the Olympian Council, which proved to be a very cumbersome task. Fortunately, the violently trashing and bellowing King of Olympus was found by the Nereid Thetis. After convincing Zeus to be merciful towards the rioting Olympians, Thetis managed to find the Hekatonkheire Briares by the sea shore. He was more than happy to save Zeus, recalling that he owes his own freedom from Tartarus and Kampê to him. Briares quickly unchained Zeus, after which the latter seized his Master Bolt, and barged into the Throne Room, violently ending the meeting. Zeus remained true to his word, and was merciful towards the rioters, but he still punished them all accordingly. Poseidon was forced to swear an oath on the Styx to serve Laomedon, the mortal King of Troy. Laomedon ordered Poseidon to build huge new walls around the city of Troy with his bare hands. The god of the seas was outraged at the prospect, but Laomedon promised to greatly reward Poseidon after his work is finished. Poseidon's physical strength naturally far surpassed that of any demigod, and he could easily carry six massive stone blocks simultaneously while building the mighty walls. The famous Walls of Troy came to be extremely durable, and would later keep the Greek forces at bay for 10 long years in the Trojan War. A number of years later, after accomplishing his mission, Poseidon finally returned to the king, and demanded the reward. However, Laomedon claimed that setting him free is the best reward that Poseidon could hope for. An infuriated Poseidon returned to Olympus, where Zeus finally freed him from his oath. However, due to Poseidon's riot, Zeus would gain a strong and lasting distrust for Poseidon. Poseidon, still furious with King Laomedon, made it his mission to sink many Trojan ships, and sent a bloodthirsty sea serpent to terrorize the Trojans. Also, in the subsequent and bloody Trojan War, Poseidon supported the Greeks. Personality Poseidon is overall a benevolent god even though he shares many characteristics with Zeus including pride, stubbornness, and being temperamental. However, he appears to have matured over the centuries to a point where these attributes do not dominate him to the same extent they do Zeus, making him much more reasonable (which is strange because in the myths Poseidon was considered the moodiest of the gods). Poseidon loves and cares for his children and watches over them more than most of the other gods, actively giving them advice, and aiding them indirectly, though this might be since he only has one daughter. Poseidon has a more caring and overall human personality, which Pesra inherited many traits from. However, when Poseidon falls into depression, he can be very very dramatic. When unable to woo Amphitrite, Poseidon becomes extremely depressed, and pointlessly wandered about his palace, bellowing "louder than a humpback whale", giving many whales and giant squids terrible migraines. Poseidon also greatly admired the fifty beautiful Nereids, and was infuriated when Queen Cassiopeia claimed to be more beautiful than any of them. As a result, Poseidon summoned a gigantic and bloodthirsty sea serpent, and ordered it to terrorize her kingdom. However, he later allowed Perseus to slay the serpent and save Andromeda (Cassiopeia's daughter) from it. However, after her death, while Poseidon did place Cassiopeia in the sky as a constellation, he insisted on placing her there upside-down. Poseidon also has a very particular sense of humor, sometimes making it hard to tell if he is joking or not. Appearance Poseidon has black hair, a neatly trimmed black beard, a deep tan, and sea-green eyes that were surrounded by sun-crinkles that told one he was prone to smiling. His hands are also scarred like an old-time fisherman's. When casual (which is almost always), he wore Birkenstocks (leather sandals), khaki Bermuda shorts, a Tommy Bahama shirt with coconuts and parrots all over it (or any other Hawaiian shirt), and a cap decorated with fishing lures which says "NEPTUNE'S LUCKY FISHING HAT." Poseidon's demigod daughter, Pesra Morgan, was noted to be nearly the spitting image of his father, with the same black hair, sea-green eyes, and brooding look. Abilities As one of the Big Three, Poseidon has the ultimate powers a god can possess, and is rivaled only by his brothers, Zeus and Hades. *'Massive Strength': Poseidon has incredible physical prowess, and he is mentioned being able to submerge entire islands, and hurl mountains at his enemies. Poseidon's physical strength far surpassed that of any demigod, and he could easily carry six massive stone blocks simultaneously while building a mighty wall around Troy. *'Powerful Roar': When Poseidon becomes extremely depressed about his inability to woo Amphitrite, Poseidon bellows "louder than a humpback whale", giving many whales and giant squids terrible migraines. *'Hydrokinesis': As the Lord of the Sea, Poseidon has absolute control over water, and has the same hydrokinetic powers as Pesra, only extremely increased. **Poseidon can appear in a "massive geyser of twisting water and salt." **He can bring about both floods and droughts. When Poseidon (angered that Hera is made the city's patron goddess) floods the city of Argos. However, when implored by Hera, Poseidon takes the floodwater away, along with the rest of the city's freshwater supply. **He can create gigantic water funnel clouds. **He can unleash huge tsunamis and tidal waves. **He can withstand any amount of water pressure. **He can generate water from his body. **He can create water springs. **He can use sea waves as a form of teleportation. **He can breathe underwater. **He can communicate with sea creatures. *'Horses': As the god who initially created horses, Poseidon has divine authority and control over them. This is shown when Poseidon makes a herd of horses part before him, and surround Demeter. *'Geokinesis (limited)': Being the god of earthquakes, Poseidon has the ability to generate earthquakes. Due to this, Poseidon is frequently referred to as "The Earthshaker" *Aerokinesis''' (limited): Poseidon is also known as the god of storms since he controls the weather over the seas. He can create fierce hurricanes. However, he can also create clear skies for sailors if he wishes to. Due to this, Poseidon is frequently referred to as "The Stormbringer." As he god of the seas, it is unknown how far this power may extend over land. *'''Building Skills: Poseidon constructed the famous Walls of Troy, which were extremely durable, and kept the Greek forces at bay for 10 long years. Attributes *Dolphin (animal) *Horse (animal) *Ram (animal) *Bull (animal) *Trident (weapon) *Ash and White Pine (trees) Family Poseidon is married to Amphitrite and has four children by her but he is also the father of a diversity of children. Mortal Children Trivia *Poseidon is also referred to as "The Earthshaker", "The Stormbringer", and "The Father of Horses." *Neptune, the eighth and last official planet from the Sun, is named after Poseidon's Roman counterpart. *Poseidon and Apollo are the only two major Olympians who have temporarily been forced to live on earth without using their godly powers (though still having divinity, since the idea of Zeus being able to take away divinity is laughable. If Zeus could do that, he would have stripped the Titans of their divinity after the First Titan War). *After Ares brutally murders his son Halirrhothius, Poseidon convinces Zeus to assemble the first ever Olympian trial for murder. However, Ares was ultimately acquitted. *The only demigod son of Poseidon that he is ashamed of being related to is Halirrhothius, who tried to rape Ares' daughter Alcippe. *Poseidon is shown to be the only one to inherit his mother Rhea's brilliant green eyes. His daughter Pesra Morgan later inherits them as well. *Kronos seems to have a particularly strong hatred for his son Poseidon, whom he describes as "too changeable, and too unpredictable." *After many competitions with other Olympians, Poseidon finally became the patron god of Corinth and Mantinea. *Chrysomallus, the ram with the Golden Fleece, is revealed to be the son of Poseidon and Theophane, a beautiful mortal princess. *His only half-blood child does not share his gender. *Poseidon was the last child swallowed by Kronos, but the first one to be vomited out.